Securing funding is often crucial in transforming innovative healthcare ideas into real-world solutions. Whether you’re developing medical devices, diagnostics, digital health technologies or novel therapeutics, the right funding can help you advance your project – from proof-of-concept and preclinical testing to real-world validation and market adoption.
“Securing funding for health tech innovators, startups, and SMEs is one of our key focus areas. With expert guidance, we help navigate the landscape, and our success in grants and partnerships speaks for itself—partners trust us and return for support.” – James Rose, Director of Strategic and Industry Partnerships.
We regularly support innovators applying to:
🔹 SBRI Healthcare
🔹 NIHR i4i and AI awards
🔹 Innovate UK Smart Grants
🔹 NHS England Innovation Open Calls
🔹 And other major UK grant schemes
We’ll help you build a strong case, avoid the common pitfalls and improve your chance of both funding and adoption.
Explore the latest funding opportunities below and discover how we can support your application.
Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards 2025/26
The Women in Innovation Awards support women founders and co-founders of late stage start-ups to grow ambitious, scalable businesses in priority UK growth sectors.
- Who can apply: Women founders or co-founders of UK-registered micro, small or medium sized enterprises at late stage start-up phase
- Funding available: Up to £75,000 grant funding plus bespoke business support
- Project duration: 12 months
- Deadline: 4 February 2026
Why apply? This award combines funding with tailored business support to help founders scale, raise investment and strengthen commercial readiness in life sciences, digital and technologies or advanced manufacturing.
Find out more about Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards.
MRC Gap Fund: single-step support for medical product development
The Medical Research Council (MRC) Gap Fund supports a single, high-risk development step for a new or repurposed medicine, device, diagnostic or other medical product. It helps teams generate vital data to show if their idea should progress to larger schemes such as the DPFS.
- Who can apply: Applicants based at an MRC-eligible research organisation who will lead the work and generate data to strengthen the development strategy for a new or repurposed medical product
- Funding available: £50,000 – £300,000
- Project duration: Flexible, aligned to the single step being proposed
- Deadline: 11 March 2026
Why apply? The Gap Fund supports early translational work that would otherwise stall due to risk. It is ideal for teams who have early proof-of-concept data and need to generate essential evidence before moving to larger, multi-stage funding. It covers a wide range of interventions, from medicines and devices to diagnostics, digital tools and advanced therapies.
Find out more about MRC Gap Fund.
NIHR NICE rolling funding opportunity (EME Programme)
The NIHR NICE Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme funds high-quality studies that address research recommendations from NICE guidance published or updated in the last five years. Projects must focus on health-related outcomes and fill clear evidence gaps.
- Who can apply: Research teams addressing a NICE research recommendation within the remit of the EME Programme
- Funding available: Two-stage funding route; support for robust efficacy and mechanistic studies (amount varies by project scope)
- Project duration: Not specified (projects should match the scale and method of the proposed study)
- Deadline: 1 April 2026 (outline application closing date)
Why apply? This fund helps innovators generate the rigorous evidence needed to show whether an intervention works, why it works, and who it helps. It supports studies that close priority evidence gaps, strengthen NHS decision-making, and improve future care.
Find out more about NIHR NICE rolling funding opportunity (EME Programme).
How we can support your funding application
Applying for funding can be complex and competitive, but we’re here to help. Our team of experts provides tailored advice and practical support to strengthen your application, including:
- Strategic guidance – Ensuring your project aligns with funding priorities and clearly demonstrates impact.
- Health economic analysis – Showcasing the clinical and financial value of your innovation.
- Stakeholder engagement – Connecting you with key partners and running workshops to refine your approach.
- Data analysis – Strengthening your case with robust evidence.
- Feasibility studies – Assessing your project’s viability and market potential.
Need help preparing your application? Complete our enquiry form and let’s work together to secure the funding you need to bring your innovation to life.
[Now closed] NIHR NICE rolling funding opportunity (HTA Programme)
This call invites research proposals that support NICE’s technology appraisal and guidelines programme. It aims to generate evidence to inform NHS decision-making on the clinical and cost effectiveness of health technologies.
- Who can apply: Research teams submitting proposals within the remit of the HTA Programme, addressing a research recommendation in recent NICE guidance
- Funding available: No fixed upper limit – budgets should reflect the scope
- Project duration: Depends on study design – applicants should propose timelines appropriate to their methodology and objectives
- Deadline: 7 January 2026 (outline application closing date)
Why apply? This rolling call offers a direct route to influence NHS practice by generating evidence that supports NICE guidance. It’s a valuable opportunity for researchers aiming to assess the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and broader impact of health technologies, diagnostics, and interventions in real-world settings.
Find out more about NIHR NICE rolling funding opportunity (HTA Programme).
[Now closed] Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst 2025: Industry led R&D
The Biomedical Catalyst programme supports micro, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop innovative solutions to address health, and healthcare, challenges.
- Who can apply: UK-registered SMEs with evidence of commercial and technical feasibility
- Funding available: Up to £500,000 grant funding for small projects and over £500,000 grant funding for large projects (up to £2 million total)
- Project duration: 6-36 months
- Deadline: 10 December 2025
Why apply? This competition helps innovators develop and evaluate new health technologies, spanning disease prevention, early diagnosis, tailored treatment, and digital health, while improving SME competitiveness and enabling real-world impact in UK healthcare.
Find out more about Innovate UK Biomedical Catalysts 2025.
[Now closed] NIHR i4i Product Development Awards (PDA) October 2025
The i4i PDA programme is designed to de-risk and accelerate healthcare innovations, making them more attractive for follow-on investment and NHS adoption. It funds projects from proof-of-concept through to real-world validation, ensuring a smooth pathway toward commercialisation.
- Who can apply: Collaborative research teams developing medical devices, in vitro diagnostics or digital health solutions
- Funding available: No maximum – projects should be ambitious and high-impact
- Project duration: 24-36 months
- Deadline: 3 December 2025
Why apply? This funding stream covers projects from preclinical development to real-world evaluation, providing the support needed to bring cutting-edge technologies into the NHS and social care systems.
Find out more about i4i Product Development Awards.
[Now closed] BHF Healthcare Implementation Fund: Round 5
The British Heart Foundation’s Healthcare Implementation Fund (formerly the Healthcare Innovation Fund) supports projects that deliver measurable improvements in cardiovascular care. Innovation and novelty remain key criteria, with a focus on improving services for people with cardiovascular disease.
- Who can apply: The lead applicant or investigator must be employed by an NHS organisation or UK based academic institution.
- Funding available: Applicants can apply for up to £350,000 for novel ideas that support early-stage testing and early-stage scaling projects that have been scoped
- Deadline: 17 November 2025
Why apply? This funding is an opportunity to test and implement innovative cardiovascular care solutions, demonstrating measurable improvements and potential scalability across the NHS.
Find out more about BHF Healthcare Implementation Fund
[Now closed] Future Leaders Fellowships: Round 10 (UKRI)
This UKRI funding call supports ambitious research and innovation projects across sectors and disciplines. It aims to tackle difficult and novel challenges while developing the next generation of innovation leaders.
- Who can apply: UK-registered businesses and non-academic organisations working with a host organisation
- Funding available: £100,000 to £3 million over a minimum of 4 years, with the option to extend by up to 3 more years
- Deadline: 5 November 2025
Why apply? This is an opportunity to secure substantial long-term funding to deliver ambitious, interdisciplinary innovation, while building the skills and profile to become a leader in your field.
Find out more about Future Leaders Fellowships
[Now closed] NIHR-NICE Rolling Funding Opportunity (HTA Programme)
This call invites research proposals that support NICE’s technology appraisal and guidelines programme. It aims to generate evidence to inform NHS decision-making on the clinical and cost effectiveness of health technologies.
- Who can apply: Research teams based in the UK
- Funding available: No fixed upper limit – budgets should reflect the scope
- Project duration: Up to 36 months
- Deadline: 3 September 2025
Why apply? This rolling call offers a direct route to influence NHS practice by generating evidence that supports NICE guidance. It’s a valuable opportunity for researchers aiming to assess the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and broader impact of health technologies, diagnostics, and interventions in real-world settings.
Find out more about the NIHR-NICE HTA opportunity
[Now closed] NIHR HTA Researcher-Led Evidence Synthesis
This call supports evidence syntheses that inform NHS decision-making but are not necessarily aligned to NICE priorities. It is designed for projects evaluating the clinical and cost effectiveness of interventions.
- Who can apply: UK-based research teams
- Funding available: No fixed upper limit – must be proportionate to the work
- Deadline: 3 September 2025
Why apply? This funding supports high-quality systematic reviews and meta-analyses that can shape future clinical guidance and policy. It’s an excellent option for teams with strong methodological expertise looking to address knowledge gaps in NHS care and provide a foundation for future research or service change.
Find out more about the HTA Researcher-Led Evidence Synthesis call
[Now closed] MRC-NIHR Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme
This funding call invites proposals to explore and evaluate non-pharmacological interventions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Projects should develop and test novel approaches to either the diagnosis or treatment of ADHD, with a focus on clinical effectiveness, feasibility, and potential for NHS uptake.
- Who can apply: Applications with significant industry involvement beyond monetary or in-kind contributions are particularly welcome
- Funding available: No set upper limit for cost of applications, however value for money will be a key consideration
- Deadline: 5 August 2025
Why apply? This is an opportunity to address unmet needs in ADHD care by developing innovative, scalable alternatives to current pharmacological treatments—helping to reduce health inequalities and improve outcomes for children and adults living with ADHD.
Find out more about this funding.
[Now closed] UKRI MRC Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme (DPFS)
The DPFS supports the translation of fundamental research into new therapies, interventions and diagnostics. This scheme funds projects across the translational pathway, from preclinical development to early-phase clinical studies.
- Who can apply: Researchers at eligible UK research organisations
- Funding available: No fixed limit – budgets must reflect project needs
- Project duration: Flexible, depending on the proposal
- Deadline: 16 July 2025 (note: this is an ongoing funding opportunity. Application rounds close every March, July and November)
Why apply? DPFS offers targeted funding to help progress promising early-stage academic research along the development pathway toward patient benefit. It’s ideal for researchers looking to turn discovery science into potential treatments, diagnostics, or medical devices with support for preclinical development, regulatory planning, and early clinical studies.
Find out more about the Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme
[Now closed] UKRI Proof of Concept
The UKRI Proof of Concept funding opportunity is designed to support researchers in accelerating the commercialisation of their innovations. This funding helps de-risk projects, refine commercialisation strategies, and bring research closer to market applications.
- Who can apply: Researchers, postdoctoral researchers, research assistants, research fellows, support staff, and technology transfer professionals from UKRI-eligible research organisations
- Funding available: £100,000–£250,000 (UKRI funds 80% of the total project cost)
- Deadline: 29 May 2025
Why apply? If you have a research innovation that requires early-to-mid stage commercialisation support—such as prototype development, market validation, or regulatory pathway assessment—this funding can provide critical resources to bridge the gap between research and commercial impact.
Find out more about the UKRI Proof of Concept funding.
[Now closed] NIHR i4i Product Development Awards (PDA) April 2025
The i4i PDA programme is designed to de-risk and accelerate healthcare innovations, making them more attractive for follow-on investment and NHS adoption. It funds projects from proof-of-concept through to real-world validation, ensuring a smooth pathway toward commercialisation.
- Who can apply: Collaborative research teams developing medical devices, in vitro diagnostics or digital health solutions
- Entry point: Experimental proof-of-concept or laboratory-validated technology
- Exit point: Validated technology or performance in real-world settings
- Funding available: No maximum—projects should be ambitious and high-impact
- Project duration: Up to 36 months
- Deadline: 28 May 2025
Why apply? This funding stream covers projects from preclinical development to real-world evaluation, providing the support needed to bring cutting-edge technologies into the NHS and social care systems.
Find out more about i4i Product Development Awards.
[Now closed] NIHR i4i Thrive: Supporting Early-Stage MedTech Innovation
The i4i Thrive funding stream is designed to accelerate the translation of healthcare innovations that address health inequalities, helping to move solutions from bench to bedside more quickly. The programme supports projects that drive patient benefit while fostering an entrepreneurial mindset among researchers and clinicians.
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Funding available: Up to £150,000
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Who can apply: UK-based academics and clinicians with innovations at prototype development level (Technology Readiness Level (TRL 3)) and above
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Project duration: 9 months
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Opening date: 14 April 2025 at 1:00 pm
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Closing date: 16 May 2025 at 1:00 pm
Why apply? This funding offers crucial early support to help SMEs strengthen their value proposition, generate key data, and position themselves for larger funding rounds or commercialisation.
Find out more about i4i Thrive.
[Now closed] AI for Healthcare Challenge
Oxford Science Enterprises has launched the AI for Healthcare Challenge, offering funding and expert support to drive AI-based innovations in healthcare. If you’re developing AI-driven solutions with high patient impact and commercial potential, this funding could help accelerate your journey.
- Who can apply: Researchers, academics, entrepreneurs, and students from: University of Oxford, Oxford University Hospitals, Harwell and Culham Science Parks and the wider Oxford innovation ecosytem
- Funding available: Support varies based on project needs and can include:
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- funding for technical feasibility studies, market gap analysis, IP strategy, and regulatory pathways
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- a pathway to pre-seed or seed investment into a newly formed entity
- Scope: AI-powered innovations that can transform diagnostics, personalised medicine and operational efficiency in healthcare
- Deadline: 3 March 2025
Why apply? If your innovation leverages AI to solve critical healthcare challenges, this programme provides both funding and strategic support to help you scale and commercialise your technology.
Find out more about the AI for Healthcare Challenge.
[Now closed] NIHR i4i Connect Call 9
Designed for SMEs developing medical devices, in vitro diagnostics or digital health technologies, this funding supports early-stage projects on their way to market. It’s an excellent opportunity for companies looking to bridge the gap between initial development and securing follow-on investment.
- Funding available: £50,000–£150,000
- Project duration: 6–12 months
- Who can apply: UK-based SMEs with innovative healthcare technologies
- Deadline: 18 March 2025
Why Apply? This funding helps you refine your innovation, generate early evidence, and position yourself for larger funding rounds or commercialisation.
Find out more about i4i Connect Call 9.
[Now closed] Medical Research Council
The Medical Research Council (MRC) is offering funding for projects at any stage of the development pathway—from early discovery and pre-clinical refinement to early-phase clinical trials (up to Phase 2a). If you’re developing a new therapeutic, medical device, or diagnostic, this funding could be a game-changer.
- Funding available: No maximum (MRC typically funds up to 80% of total project cost)
- Who can apply: Researchers at MRC-eligible organisations
- Scope: Supports projects from early development through to clinical trials
- Deadline: 19 March 2025
Why apply? MRC funding provides critical support to help turn cutting-edge research into clinical applications, bridging the gap between innovation and real-world impact.
Find out more about Medical Research Council funding.
[Now closed] NIHR i4i Fast
The i4i Fast Awards provide rapid funding to support the development of innovative medical technologies. This scheme is designed to accelerate early-stage projects, helping to generate the preliminary data needed for further investment and development. It welcomes applications to support the development of health technologies to reduce community and hospital waiting lists for children and young people, including those with learning disabilities, seeking mental healthcare or neurodevelopmental assessment.
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Funding available: £50,000 to £100,000
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Who can apply: SMEs, NHS organisations, and universities developing medical devices, diagnostics, or digital health solutions
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Project duration: 6-12 months
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Closing date: 16 April 2025
Why apply? The Fast Awards offer a streamlined application process and quick funding decisions, making them ideal for accelerating early-stage innovations.
[Now closed] NIHR NICE rolling funding opportunity (HTA Programme)
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), in collaboration with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), invites applications for its rolling funding opportunity under the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme. This initiative seeks to generate high-quality evidence to inform NICE guidance across various health and social care topics.
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Funding available: No fixed upper limit; budgets should be appropriate to the scope of the proposed research.
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Closing date: 7 May 2025
Why apply? This is an opportunity to contribute to the evidence base that shapes NICE guidelines, directly impacting healthcare policy and practice in the UK.